The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-02
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH
w. Fl. Preece. British Electrician, Talks
of the Features Of the System.
How the Forces are Observation-Disclosures En-
rloyed in the Commercial Department
Great Government Enterprise. =


reported a,tak with Mr.. Lambe. second assist
ant postmaster general on the subject OF Great
Britain's postal telegraph system. which Con-
gress proposes to introduce in the United States.
Mr.. Lambs told of the tariffs, the special lines,
and something of the general operations of the
system. Here is what Mr.. w. FL. Preece, known
as the practical man of the British system, and
the general electrician. said about other
features:
In 1877 was sent by Parliament to
America to investigate the telegraph system
there for the purpose of improving our own.
visited the various sections of the country and
the large Offices, and inspected their lines and
their operations. With all due regard to the ex-
celent telegraph service in the United States. and
the great amount of ingenuity that country pos
sesses, must say it is standing still in the mat
er of telegraphy. It is now Just where it was
decade ago. One would think at the first glance
that ingenuity would be stunted when the gov
eminent assumed absolute control of the tele-
graphs and made monopoly of the syst en- and
when sll the operators were given positions dur
ing good behavior. This is not SO. We have
made more rapid progress within the past fif-
teen years than any other country, and have
greatly outstripped America This, think, is
largely due to the fact that we have superior
We offer standing premium to the mon in our
employ and outside the service for improve
ments. Promotion. vacation and money
the inducements. With the security tn at
a life position attaches, you see,
il you will think OF it moment. that
our system OF employment will bring about
more advancement than any other The OPP
orators in the employ Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company or the Baltimore and Ohio
Tan = ho tvrN fnaa AT ma ri
have no security whatever; their employers
dismiss them upon any pretext, aud there is no
stability about the organization of the service
in It's details. Here man is retained as long as
he performs his duty well, and when he attains
the age of sixty years he can retire pension
The pension is about twothirds Of full pay. but
is graded on a basis OF years of service. have
served thirtv-six years and can retire in seven
years. My pension would be in the proportion
that 46 stands to 60. of full pay. or 466ssh of
full pay.
I'VE have a complete system OF offering the
telegraph service. There seventeen general
superintendents or engineers Ireland has three
districts located at Dublin. Belfast and Cork;
Scotland two districts at Edinburgh and elias
cow. The remainder divided between
England and Wales. Each district has sub
districts with inspectors, numbering eighty.
Then each inspectors district Is divided into
lengths Each lineman patrols thirty miles of
lins route, and all messengers and government
employees are specially instructed to have scru-
tiny over the telegraph property. An inspector
is next in rank above linsman; an enginesris
over an inspector, and communicates to the gen.
ersl postoffce department..
''We employ the Wheatstons instrument and
are enabled to handle messages for the press
very rapidly. Our services IL exceedingly prompt.
Our general Office here, employing 1000 opera
tors, has handled 10000 600 words OF matter in
one night Male operators are in the service
for press matter, ard females employ ed in
the commercial department. Our employees got
from two weeks to month of vacation every
year. We supply all our operators with medi-
eel assistance and medicine free. The hours of
There
for time"
The gross returns from the English postal tel
esraph system last year Was, in American money,
So, S74 go. which was 81. S57, no less thrn the
expenditures but the government paid 81, 630.-
0S5 interest on the telegraph indebtedness, and
frAnked for its own service messages amounting
to Si34, 985 and lost about 81. 00o. GOO from the
press and other sources where exceptionally low
rates were made and contracts entered into. Il
Is seer. therefore, that the English postal tele-
graph system, exclusive OF the interest on the
bonds created to pay for the lines, is very pay
ing investment.
A gentleman expert in and experienced in
telegraph and telegraphic business says that the
English rate to the masses average something
like Do per cent lower than those in America
and that 20 per cent of the burdens Of
charges in America rest with the common peo-
pie those living in rural districts and small vii
lagos.
In the fiscal year ended March, 1886, there
was in operation in this Kingdom no. 1876 miles
of wire and SO. 235. 8l3 messages were received
and transmitted. The local traffic in London is
enormous. ranging from 1000 to Is 900 mes
sages day. In 1868 there were here sixty
offices open; but there 480 Offices,
handling average of Is 600 messages a day.
The pneumatic tube system, by which several
ounces OF Geographic or mail matter can be
shot about the city of London at the rate of
thirty miles hour is also under the control
of the government, and is a great success. It
would be immensely popular in cities like Chi
csgo, Philadelphia. New York etc, where vast
expanses of business are transacted
great many complaints are heard Eng
land. even 10 this day, about the price paid for
the telegraph lines now owned by the govern
ment. Especially the legislators hold that the
sum was extremely exarbitant. It has been
suggested by several high officials in the general
postof6ce department here that the Congress of
the United States should pass law practically
confiscatne the lines by appointing commits
sioner to ,appraise the property in existence,
and by some means forcing the owners to sell at
the price stipulated by the commission. / have
observed in all of my conversations with the
officers of the government here that there is not
that high sense of property rights that exists in
America, and there is talk about its being the
proper thing for tho American government to
force private corporations and individuals to
turn over their telegraph property at any price
the government mig ht stipulate.
With the greatest impunity the officers in the
postoffcs department here talk of considerations
for her majestys service, and declare that sooner
or later the American Congress will lose its
sc ueamishness in reference to taking forcible
control of the telegraph. l asked official
high up in the department whether, considering
the form of government In America, he would
recommend the condemnation of private prop
erty for the public service, and this is what he
said. l can remember:
Your government already does that thing.
1t has a monopoly Of the mails. Congress under
your constitution can pass a law creating com
mission TO appraso telegraph property. That
commission can make return of the assess |
nents and the money be rendered to own
ers of the property, and the property can by !
force be taken charge of. The only question |
will be the price. IL the terms fixed upon by |
the commission not liberal enough the own
ers sue. and the courts will determine.
Thore will be no question of the legal rights |
under the constitution to do this thing. This |
we looked into before the government OF Great |
Britain took charge of the telegraph. You have |
recently passed Interstate commerce law |
which practically amounts to the thing / !
propose and We took in regard to control of the |
elegraph."
The telegraph servcA here is very much more |
prompt than in the United States | have filed |
mesgages from several parts of the Kin dom.